Media Release

Muscat, Nov 22: Bunts community residing in Oman celebrated their 30th year of togetherness – Trisanti Mahotsava, on 17 November at Barka Guthu in the Sultanate of Oman.

The celebration had a delightful tinge of culture and tradition. It is an annual tradition for the Bunts of Oman. About 800 to 1000 members of the Bunt community come together as one family. This year being the 30th year of gathering, three decades of activity, the celebration was very grand and festival, they named it ‘Oman Buntara Mahotsava’. It was a perfect blend of dazzling cultural and feasting extravaganza, a culmination of 30 years of Bunts vaarshika okkoota or a sammilana- a large family gathering. The event was preceded by the annual sports meet on October 13, 2017 at the Sidab Club, and a historic ethnic sports and cultural meet, Grameena Kreeda Koota- (Kesaru Gadde Aatota) so to say, a slushy and muddy paddy field games and activities, held at Barka Guthu on October 27, 2017.

A traditional Guthu house was built to create a theme for the event of 30th year. It was named ‘Agoli Manjanna Chavadi’ of Barka Guthu, a name of a historical Bunt figure. This concept and its development was beyond imagination for anyone who witnessed and experienced the beauty per se, which was an exclusive hand craft of Divakar Shetty, MD of M/S Multitech Contracting LLC, who is an architect and an interior designer by profession together with another magnificent and creative organizer, Shashidhar Shetty, Mallar of Abeer Co Est. The pair’s amazing foresight and visualization of the infrastructural development with such a creative mind, made the Bunts feel that they were back in their native place. The construction of slushy paddy field for buffalo race and other ethnic games, the Chavadi concept with age old and traditional structural design and beauty, the Paaka Shaale, the goodu- da angadees, the Bhojana Shaale etc were a rare panorama and an opportunity to recall the lost glory with fond remembrance. The front yard of the Barka Guthu was complete with Tulasi Katte, Baarda Tuppe, Padi-Manchavu, Mooji Raateda Goovel, Basale Dompa, Aritha Mudi, Baar Medpuna Ujjer-Guri, Kaai-kajpu da thota, Kattada Poonjerlu (graced by fighter roasters) and Pettha-da Kide (cattle Shed). The Agoli Manjanna Chavadi too was exceptional with traditional pillars adorned with Koral, agricultural accessories and miniatures hanging from the walls as its decorative material. There were even yellow cucumbers (soute kai) and kumbla kai dangling from the beams of Chavadi. The stage was set up with a backdrop of a lush green farming field.

The welcome arch at the entrance and a gate was adorned with bunches of nourishing tender coconuts, Mangaluru mallige (jasmine flower) and haldi kumkum with sprinkling of panneer etc placed as a traditional welcome process, attended by the teenage folks. This made the Bunt ladies feel the fragrance of age old Bunt tradition. The Mogasaale of Barka Guthu was decorated with marigold flowers and mango leaves, with a beautiful theme logo that presented complete with decorative Aritha Kalase, paddy- Koral, Pingara- Areca flower, Sanaadige or traditional lamp, betel leaf, areca nut etc, with an idea of greeting the members of Oman Bunts and their guests with a fervour, long forgotten due to modernization. It was a sight of joy to see the organizers and the bunt members attending the function with spick and span traditional attires.

The rhythmic beats of the pancha-vaadya, played during the Poorna-Kumbha procession , a huge line of ladies carrying the kalasha , and men with hore- kaanike, was a sight of elegance with which they welcomed the guests and the community members at the entrance of ‘Rani Abbakka Sabha Mantapa”, the wonderful auditorium specially built for the occasion, that laid a Red carpet over green grass.

The programme began with koral kattuna ceremony with koral and flowers specially flown from India. Koral kattuna ceremony reminded the members about the agricultural heritage of celebrating harvest season back home. Blessed grains were distributed among the families, which will be adored and adorned on the equipments and home doors and pillars till next year.

Shashidhar Shetty, Mallar welcomed the members and guests, highlighting the concept with which the 30th year was planned for celebration as an important mile-stone of these gatherings with ethnicity. His suggestion of revitalizing Bunts’ traditions and making their children, grand children knowing them well and carrying the message forward was one of the main motives of this attempt in a home away from home. This was followed by the traditional lighting of the lamp and recitations from the holy texts were rendered with love and reverence, by the members of the organizing committee.

The stage program commenced with a prayer dance by the disciples of Rama Rajshekhar Shetty. Kalladi Shanker T Shetty compered the programme. Throughout the event it was stressed on the importance of preserving bunts heritage and culture. He kept the audience entertained with his great sense of humour and spontaneity.

The committee members, under the guidance of their convener,Shashidhar Shetty Mallar impeccably conducted and devoted all their efforts undauntedly towards the proceedings of the day-long event. The whole affair was meticulously planned and organized by Saroja S Shetty, Shashidhar Shetty Mallar, Mallika S Shetty , Shankar T Shetty, Sudheera D Shetty, Divakar K Shetty, Shyna G Shetty, Ganesh V Shetty, Vanishree N Shetty, Nagesh Shetty,Surekha S Rai and Sathyaprasad Rai.

A record number of 1000 plus members and guests attended the function. Guests enjoyed an assortment of traditional breakfast in the morning, lunch with variety of dishes cooked at the venue and served on banana leaves, followed by intermittent traditional refreshments etc in the evening. The buffet dinner comprised a wide range of ethnic Bunts vegetarian and non- vegetarian items. The arrangements were personally supervised by Shashidhar Shetty, Mallar, who is an expert and guide for Bunts in such large functions for their traditional cuisine.

There were a host of cultural events like Skits, Folk dances, group dances, and ballets, which gave the event a traditional touch and flavour, liked and appreciated by everyone. The children kept the audience engrossed with their talents. Bonte Dance, (Hunter Dance) and Pili Nalike (Tiger dance) by Sudhin Shetty and Pokri Team , Krishna Leelamrit, a group dance and glimpses of Tulunadu (Choreographed by Rama Rajashekar Shetty and team), Tiger Fusion dance by Vanishree Shetty’s - girls team , a Tulu skit on the theme of Save girl child by Sandesh Rai and team Bhagyada Balegaara , a nritya roopaka, dance ballet and a tribal folk dance directed by Sushma & kishan Shetty , A Janapada dance, Coordinated by Ashok Shetty team of Sohar, a patriotic dance choreographed by Roopa Chidambar Shetty and team successfully entertained the audience, every time to its thunderous applause.

The programme culminated in breath taking Yaskhagaana Ballet- A folk theatre dance drama ‘Tulunaada Siri’ presented and performed by renowned Bhagavatar, Patla Satish Shetty and Team. Guests from all coastal Karnataka communities were invited for the Yakshagana.

The programme was coordinated by Ganesh V Shetty, Sathyaprasad Rai and Nagesh Shetty.
Winners of the various competitions and participants of the entertainment events like Biggest looser is the winner, Goodu deepa contest, Rangoli contest etc were also felicitated by the Bunts patrons and Sponsors. Elders and Parents of Bunt members who came on visits to Oman, were felicitated by the Convener Shashidhar Shetty,Mallar and the committee.

The entire event was a crown jewel for Bunts, befitting for the 30th year of celebration, well planned, well co-ordinated, and executed by the empowered organizing committee and chosen volunteers. All the members stayed on right till the end; yet the day seemed too short for an event of this magnitude.

Shashidhar Shetty Mallar, invited enthusiastic members of Sohar Bunts to form a new committee for the next year’s Bunts get-together. He expressed his gratefulness to all Bunts of Oman, who came forward in support with their generous participation in order to successfully organize the mega show of Bunts. Shashidhar Shetty did make a mention of the community’s engagement in charity work, wherever they felt the need and necessity, be it on health issues of community members or employment need or social causes of upliftment etc irrespective of cast and religion.

The programme was concluded with a vote of thanks by Shashidhar Shetty, Mallar and a closing speech by Kalladi Shankar T Shetty, which brought down the curtains to a highly successful, splendid and blissful event. All Bunts residing in Oman participated and interacted joyously till midnight and left for home reluctantly; fondly hoping that the legacy of the annual Oman Bunts gathering continues. The convener expressed explicitly, during his interaction, later, that such gatherings would revive bunts traditional and cultural uniqueness and would preserve and promote the same by enriching the heritage of coastal Karnataka.

The second part of the entertainment, for the Yakshagana lovers, as an art form, yet another show of Yakshagana Ballet - Shrinivasa Kalyana was staged November 18, in association with Orbit Events Management, at the Grand Hall of Al Falaj Hotel. It was an open to all event and a marvellous performance of eminent artists, witnessed by a huge crowd of audiences from various communities. At the all Yakshagana artistes were honoured and felicitated by Bunts of Oman with a framed Omani Khanjar, a pashmina shawl and a basket of dry fruits as a valuable gift and remembrance of their visit to Oman.